Too Late to Change
by unorthodox yo-yo
Summary: Spoilers for DH and HBP! One shotAfter the war, Harry talks to the portraits of Snape and Dumbledore about the plans they had made before Dumbledore's death.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. But I bet you all knew that anyway. **

**This was pretty much written to clear up a personal issue for me. If you hate it, I really don't care.**

Harry waited outside the headmaster's door at Hogwarts. It had been several years since the end of the war. Finally after all his hard work, he had gotten a portrait of Severus Snape hung in the headmaster's office.

Harry knocked on the door. It wasn't long before Professor McGonagall opened it.

"Oh, Hello Harry," she said briskly. "I suppose you've come to see him."

Harry nodded. Professor McGonagall opened to door wider so he could enter, Harry didn't move.

"Professor, I was wondering if I could have a moment alone," he stated simply. She nodded knowingly and took her leave.

Harry walking into the room he had become so familiar with in his sixth year. The portraits of the other headmasters and headmistresses followed him with their eyes but said nothing.

Harry made his way to the desk. Directly behind it stood the portrait of Dumbledore. He smiled at Harry and his blue eyes twinkled from behind his half moon glasses. Harry politely returned the smile and then turned to the portrait on the right hand side of Dumbledore's.

There stood Severus Snape's portrait. The Snape in the picture neither smiled nor scowled at Harry, just simply looked at him. Harry returned the gaze, fully aware now that the reason he had asked to meet Harry's eyes while he was dieing, was because he had learned to see Lily in him instead of James.

"So it is true," the portrait Snape said at last. "You have survived."

Harry nodded. "It was just as much as a surprise for me," he replied. "But it was necessary that no one know that I would have survived, save Dumbledore. It was my willingness to sacrifice myself for everyone that protected them from Voldemort."

Harry turned to look at Dumbledore. His expression was pure understanding. He forgave Dumbledore from keeping that one piece of information that could have saved both him and Severus much grief.

"Thank you, Harry," Dumbledore said. "Thank you for understanding why I had to take that secret to the grave."

Harry nodded and for a while no one spoke. Harry then looked at Severus and then Dumbledore. Then his gaze fell to the floor.

"Speaking of said grave," Harry said slowly. "I've given it some thought and I've decided that I don't agree with the manor you chose to go."

This statement was met with silence for a while.

"I'm afraid I don't understand, Harry," Dumbledore said.

"I think it was wrong for you to ask Snape to kill you," Harry said. The statement was greeted with silence once more. Both Snape and Dumbledore looked taken aback and confused.

"Harry," Snape said slowly. It had been the first time he had not spat the boys name out in the same spiteful way he would have said James's name. Perhaps because the statement he just made was made with Snape's best interest at heart. "Didn't you look at the memories I gave you?"

Harry looked at Severus. "I watched those memories many times," he said. "Each time I become more and more certain that you both made the wrong choice."

"How was it the wrong choice, Harry? What other option was there?" Dumbledore asked. It wasn't at all an accusing question. It was completely sincere.

"The Avada Kedavra is and unforgivable curse," Harry said. "And not just because it kills one person physically, but also because it harms the curser's soul. Killing is wrong in every form. You had yourself and Severus convinced that it wouldn't harm his soul further." Harry's voice trailed off and he took up staring at the floor once more. Severus looked shocked and Dumbledore looked upset.

"What about Draco, Harry? Or about keeping Severus loyal in Voldemort's eyes?" Dumbledore said.

"Having one soul harmed to protect another is pointless," Harry said firmly. "Draco was old enough to make his own choices. And if he would have failed, like he did, there could have been another way to protect him and still keep Severus on Voldemort's good side."

"But Harry," Severus said, addressing a factor that Dumbledore would refuse to bring up. "We all know that the Death Eaters would have probably tortured him before killing him."

Harry sighed. "Love and Sacrifice are so intertwined they are almost interchangeable. I would gladly take torture so that ether of your souls would remain intact." Harry looked down at the floor again. "Severus and I sacrificed a lot for this world or for the memories of loved ones. Like you said, there are worse things than death. Tearing of the soul is probably the worst thing that could happen to a person."

"So you are saying I should have accepted the suffering," Dumbledore said quietly. Harry looked up at his old headmaster. There was not the slightest hint of accusation in his eyes. Just simple sad understanding that he had, yet again, made a grave mistake in the lives of others.

Harry nodded. Dumbledore sighed, "You're probably right, Harry." He turned to Snape. "Will you forgive me, Severus? I was selfish. If I had known what that would have been asking of you, I would have never thought of it."

"I believe that you had everyone's best interests at heart," Severus said. "It's too late to make amends, but in the case that someone else you know is in a similar situation, Harry, be sure to tell them what you know."

Harry smiled and nodded. It was too late to change what had happened on the tower that night, but he would be sure to prevent as many others as possible from making similar mistakes. He also felt better that the small amends that could be made between the two portraits had been made. Everything had been done.

**Alright. I don't really care about reviews for this one. It had been an issue that had been bothering me for a while and this was the best way I could think of to make it better. If you don't like it, tough.**


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